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John Grey
Lord John William Grey is a secondary character in the Outlander novels and the protagonist of a subseries of historical mysteries, the Lord John novels and novellas. His first appearance is as an English soldier, age sixteen, at the Battle of Culloden in Dragonfly in Amber and subsequently he appeared as the Governor of Ardsmuir Prison, where he struck up a tenuous friendship with Jamie Fraser. He has had appearances in each subsequent novel, although his appearance in The Fiery Cross is limited to a series of letters exchanged between him and the Fraser family. The Lord John stories take place during the period of time in which Jamie is at Helwater. Background Lord John William Grey was born around June 1729 to Gerard Grey, Duke of Pardloe and Earl of Melton, and his wife Benidicta Grey, nee Armstrong. Grey had four elder brothers; Harold Grey, his elder brother from his parents marriage, and Paul and Edgar DeVane, from his mother's marriage to Captain DeVane. It is unclear just how much older Grey's siblings are, although Grey is about ten when Edgar married. Grey was enrolled in the Beefstake Club upon his birth by his godfather began taking him there for lunch every Wednesday starting when he was seven. As an adult, Grey continues to frequent the club, preferring it to White's Club, of which he is also a member. At the time of the Lord John series it is not uncommon for him to sleep at the Beefstake instead of returning to his mother's home, where he keeps his rooms. Grey is a fine swordsman, having first begun lessons with one at the age of three; at a young age he once struck Hal on the leg with a sword, doing no lasting damage but leaving a scar. On Grey's twelfth birthday he was given a pocket watch by his father, his brother having received an identical one on his own twelfth birthday. The next day Grey's father was found dead by his mother, having been murdered in the night. Not knowing who had committed the murder and wanting to protect her family Grey's mother covered it up, making it appear as though Pardloe had committed suicide; at the time, he had been under the suspicion of having been a Jacobite supporter and thus his death was seen as proof of such. The family was firmly dishonoured by the allegations, and an attempt to have the dukedom of Pardloe revoked was briefly made. Thoroughly shamed, Grey's elder brother Harold chose to be referred to by his second title, the Earl of Melton, rather than take on one that was associated with such a scandal. As the head of the family, Melton was able to push his will onto his mother, who became known as the Dowager Countess, but not Grey, who insisted on being called Lord John, as befitting a duke's younger son, instead of the Honourable John, as befitting an earl's younger son. Immediately after his father's death Grey was sent to Aberdeen, Scotland, to stay with his mother's family and avoid the scandal, although it was not until much later in his life that Grey came to realize this. ''Dragonfly in Amber'' During Dragonfly in Amber, when the character of Grey is first introduced, Grey is sixteen-years-old and a member of the 46th Regiment, which his brother, Lord Melton, had raised in order to restore his family's honour and prove that they were not Jacobite supporters. Acting as a forager and scout, Grey came across Jamie and Clare Fraser, assuming that he was witnessing the notorious Red Jamie Fraser with an abducted English woman. Honour pushed him to attempt to save her and capture Fraser, leading to a rather dismal failure. For a time Grey would be thoroughly ridiculed by his regiment and others who heard the tale. While still a member of the regiment, during the Battle of Culloden Grey was prevented from joining the fight by his brother. ''Voyager'' At the age of twenty-four another scandal would result in the now Major Grey being sent to Scotland, where he served as the Governor of Ardsmuir Prison. One of the prisoners under his care was Jamie Fraser, who easily assumed a leadership role amongst the other prisoners. At the encouragement of his predecessor and long time friend, Harry Quarry, Grey began to have regular dinners with Fraser to discuss prison matters. Eventually the two would strike up a tenuous friendship, with Grey forming a great, albeit unrequirted, love for the other man. Upon the completion of a fortress at Ardsmuir Grey was charged with transporting the prisoners; however in the case of Fraser he made an exception, instead choosing to have him paroled at Helwater where Grey's family friends, the Dunsany's, lived. "Lord John and the Hellfire Club" ''Lord John and the Private Matter'' "Lord John and the Succubus" ''Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade'' "Lord John and the Haunted Soldier" "The Custom of the Army" ''The Scottish Prisoner'' "Lord John and the Plague of Zombies" ''Drums of Autumn'' ''The Fiery Cross'' ''A Breath in Snow and Ashes'' ''An Echo in the Bone'' Relationships Category:18th century characters Category:Lord John Grey novel characters Category:Characters